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Besides watches, what we reference most here on Hodinkee is the great town that we live in, New York City. We love it, and so does Audemars Piguet. After all, they chose New York for their very first state-side boutique back in 2003. To commemorate the opening of this boutique they produced a limited edition watch (as is their MO), but this one we rather like.

Called the “La Boutique” Royal Oak Chronograph, it is essentially a completely blacked out version of their traditional Royal Oak, a watch we have a lot of love for. The case and pushers are covered in black PVD, the face is black with white dials, and it very much looks the part of a Royal Oak. The biggest difference, and what makes this watch so unique, is its case back. Engraved on the back of this Royal Oak is the entire facade of the Audemars Piguet boutique here in NY. Surrounding this image are the words “Audemars Piguet La Boutique New York 40 E 57th”. Yes, the address of the AP boutique is actually engraved on the back on the watch, useful if you ever forget where you’re going when you need service.

La Boutique Royal Oak comes on a black alligator strap with deployment clasp, and with a wooden presentation box that features the very same engravings as the caseback. There were only 150 of these watches made, so finding one for sale is quite rare. The original selling price for this piece was $13,900 back in 2003. Something tells us you’ll have to fork over around the same to pick one up these days, if not a little more.

Watches As Jewelry? I Think Not. Assembling An AP Royal Oak Grande Complication

We are oft confronted with people at cocktail parties that do not wear mechanical watches but rather use their mobile phone as a time-telling device. This is fine, as we’ve said many times, we are not “watch snobs” here at Hodinkee, we fully respect people’s personal preferences. However, many times people take things one step further and refer to watches as jewelry, implying the prices you pay for complex mechanical pieces in no way reflect the workmanship, and that gets under our skin.

Jewelry has no moving parts, it is designed, molded, and sold. With a watch, there are hundreds of pieces (648, in this case) that fall into place to make it function properly. Watch-making is mechanical engineering of the highest order compressed into 42mm of space. We launched Hodinkee because we wanted to call attention to some of the history and work that goes into a fine watch, and we can’t think of a better way to show you what’s involved than with the video below from TheTimeTV.

This particular watch, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication, yields a split-seconds chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar with moon phases that will remain accurate until March 1st, 2100, at which point only one replica Audemars Piguet uk adjustment has to be made for it to remain precise for another 100 years. Can your David Yurman necklace do that?

Here is a beautiful, black-faced 17 Jewel watch coming to us from Girard-Perregaux. While the face has been re-done, the movement looks to be in great shape and http://www.mrjack.co.uk/hublot-watches-uk.html it is a beautiful old watch for a very reasonable price. We love black on black, and we love GP here at Hodinkee. We also like that this watch is not being sold in auction format despite it being offered on eBay. Take a look by clicking here.

This truly is a very cool watch, we absolutely love what looks to be a large gold case. This watch is listed for just under $7,000 and considering the high mark (GP), the fact that it’s 14K gold, and the fact that it is 70+ years old, we think that is a fair place to begin negotiation for it. Take a look.

1967 Gyromatic Girard-Perregaux

Here is a very cool Girard Perregaux from 1967. It is a Gyromatic and is in excellent condition. It is also very reasonably priced at $1495, so this might make an excellent entry-point into vintage watches. What we don t love is the Eddie Bauer strap they threw on it.

Girard-Perregaux BMW-Oracle WW.TC Hours World Chrono Ti

Coming from the Luxury Bazaar s eBay store, this Girard-Perregaux BMW-Oracle WW.TC Hours World Chrono Ti, is one watch Hodinkee has always loved. This watch is brand new replica panerai Radiomir with all original everything and is listed for approximately $4000 under what you d be paying at the likes of a brick and mortar store. We love the colors on the face and we ve always been suckers for world-timers, but even still, this GP is sure to be a classic some day. Click the pic for the auction link.

Hands-On With The Arnold & Son CTB, The World’s First Dead-Beat Seconds And Chronograph Wristwatch

Arnold & Son has been doing some really impressive stuff the past few years. Stuff like this, this, and this. Just today we got to go hands-on with one of our favorite pieces from the 2014 Basel World collection, a chronograph called the Instrument CTB (first seen here). So what you have is a traditional-looking, two-button chronograph with hours and minutes, but you also have a sweeping chronograph hand, PLUS constant dead-beat seconds display. This thing is cool.

First things first, this is NOT a rattrapante (split-seconds) chronograph. It can certainly look like one, what with the whole double seconds hand thing going on. It’s just not. Now that that’s out of the way, we can tell you what it is. You see that seconds hand with the open tail? That’s a dead-beat running seconds hand. Dead-beat (or “true-beat”) is essentially a ticking seconds hand. If you don’t follow, have a look at this Habring2 review here to see one in action. Dead-beat seconds is a complication with historical roots in medicine and precision time-telling. The ticking nature allows for more precise time-setting, and reading. On the CTB, that seconds hand is ticking at all times.

But when you activate the chronograph, the other seconds hand (with the full tail) begins to move. But this chronograph hand sweeps, instead of ticks. So while the chrono is running, you have the running seconds jumping, and the chrono seconds sweeping along after it. The look is simply gorgeous. The counter 6 o’clock is a 60 minute chronograph counter.

What makes this double-chronograph action possible is Arnold & Son’s in-house caliber A&S7103, which beats at 28,800 vph, and features a column-wheel layout, ceramic ball bearings and a power reserve of 50 hours. The bridges are hand-chamfered and edge hand-polished. There is nice circular graining and Cotes de Geneve.

All screws are beveled with mirror-polished heads, while the rotor is skeletonized and brushed. All in all, it’s a very impressive and nice looking self-winding movement.

The case and dial of the CTB are also really lovely, with nice mirror polished lugs, and a beautiful granular dial, that from afar, is a little Patek Philippe 5235G-ish. Not a bad thing, and I happen to really like the look of this watch a lot. The CTB comes in at 44 mm, which of course, is just a little too large replica Audemars Piguet uk for my liking. It is nice on the wrist, yes, but it could’ve been 2 mm smaller and I don’t think anyone would’ve complained, where as I am sure those extra 2 mm will prevent a lot of purists from considering it who otherwise would have.

Still, the Arnold & Son Instrument CTB is a fantastic watch from an upstart company with a tremendous amount of potential. The retail price of this piece in stainless steel is $27,750, which for what you’re getting here, is really quite impressive. Everything about this watch is in-house, and it looks fantastic. The CTB is also offered in rose gold and you can see more here.

You won’t see us commenting on the Russian Orthodox Church or its affairs too often around here, but a recent story about a certain watch that Patriarch Kirill may or may not wear was too good to pass up. The story begins with a picture taken in 2009, depicting the watch less Patriarch sitting with a Russian justice minister. Nothing unusual about that, except that on closer inspection, within the reflection of the table, a watch is clearly present on his wrist, indicating the presence of some photo trickery on behalf of the ROC, who posted the image on their website. What’s the big deal? The watch is a $30,000 Breguet, and it seems Russians have grown sensitive to the Church’s lavish displays of wealth.

This week, Patriarch Kirill did confess to owning replica hublot watches uk the Breguet, a R veil du Tsar model, though insisted that he had never really taken it out of the box. Any image showing otherwise should be considered manipulated, he suggested. In a twist of irony then, the photo posted on the ROC’s website was quickly called into question by Russian bloggers. Forced to acknowledge the public slip up, they place the blame squarely on a 24 year old female employee, who acted of her own accord. http://www.mrjack.co.uk/panerai-radiomir-watches-uk.html Clearly, the Russian Orthodox Church is not trying to hide anything.

The watch at the center of all the fuss in the Breguet R veil du Tsar, which looks to be in steel or white gold. The automatic Breguet features a GMT, power reserve and alarm replica Audemars Piguet uk complications courtesy of the caliber 519F inside. As fitting a watch as you’ll find for a Russian Patriarch, even if worn without discretion. Read the full story right here at the NYT.

In Pursuit of History: A Breguet From 1929, The World’s First Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch

While Patek Philippe is the undisputed darling of the antique and vintage watch auction world, there are a few brands that can excite the mega-collectors now and then. Occasionally, Vacheron Constantin will have an epic showing, so will Audemars Piguet, but it’s really Breguet that has the best chance to outshine a Patek on any given day. The thing is, you so rarely see vintage Breguet wristwatches (besides type XX’s) in the auction world. Today we have one, and it’s exceptional.

Manufactured in 1929 and sold in 1934 for 11,000 CHF, Breguet no. 4244 was the very first watch from the historic company to feature a perpetual calendar. It is also, very likely, the first wristwatch to hold a perpetual calendar movement not originally crafted for a pocketwatch. The only other wristwatch to have a perpetual calendar at that time was one from Patek Philippe, but the caliber inside said watch was originally designed for a lady’s pendant watch – not the same thing. Still, that Patek and this Breguet we’ve found for you today are literally the only two perpetual calendar wristwatches created in the pre-war era. Think this watch is important? Just a bit.

This particular vintage Breguet was sold to Monsieur Jean Dollfus, an industrial heir and regular client of Breguet, for 11,000 CHF in 1934 (btw, Dollfus’s company still exists today). The watch was purchased for his brother as a gift after his 500th flying hour, the point at which a pilot becomes officially “experienced”.

This incredibly rare and valuable white gold Breguet no. 4244, the very first perpetual calendar wristwatch, is expected to bring between 200,000 and 300,000 CHF at Christies’ Geneva sale. Click here for details.

Inside this highly water resistant case is the automatic Caliber 3130 which is naturally entirely made by Rolex and like most of their movements is a COSC-certified chronometer and uses Rolex s patented blue Parachrom hairspring using a special alloy that makes the watch more precise due to lessening the affects of magnetism, temperature and shocks.

Rolex Submariner Ref. 114060 C Dial.Some people dislike the cyclops magnifier and prefer the clean look of the simple dial without the date indicator and accompanying cyclops. The symmetry of the no date version certainly does combine well with the high contrast, http://www.dmincwv.com high legibility of the classic Submariner black and white dial design. Of course although this is essentially a luxury watch it was originally designed as a tool watch and so still bears those design traits.

Legibility is further enhanced by the use of different style hour and minute hands and to help readability in the dark you have a coating of Rolex s proprietary luminescent material called Chromalight , which has a blue glow and according to Rolex lasts twice the time as that of luminescent material used on other watches. The blue lume is a recent change over green which has the benefit of looking whiter and clearer to see in daylight.

The dial has been precisely made by Rolex and features a fine attention to detail, I particularly like the tiny Rolex inscriptions on the inside edge of the dial, although Im not sure if this a purely decorative feature or one that is intended to help guard against the prodigious counterfeiting that this model has suffered.

With its clean dial and classic looks this no date version is the iconic Submariner in its purest form. Instantly recognizeable, if anything the only downside that could be levelled at it is that the Submariner look has become almost too familiar replica j12 for some people due to its market saturation in one form or another. The Rolex Submariner ref 114060 No Date retails for $7,500.

While there are watches out there that are much rarer, more complicated and considerably more costly, an original Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, otherwise known as a Paul Newman Daytona, remains one of the grail watches for watch collectors. In truth the model was not selling at all well until Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman s wife, decided to buy him one. Suddenly, with one of the world s most bankable stars wearing the watch, it started to gain its legendary status. Even a basic Daytona will set you back at least 10,000 Euros, others go for considerably more.

While it has nothing to do with the actual theme of the watch, when I first laid eyes on this new limited edition Porsche Design P’6612 Dashboard Le Mans 1970 timepiece, I thought of something a bit kinky. You know, those lace-up on the sides leather pants, corsets, and other lingerie/bondage outfits? You know, because of that cross-stitching in red thread on the black leather strap. Then I toned it back a bit, and thought to myself “this isn’t a watch that people are going to wear with those types of outfits. The watch also reminds me of hip shoes – which are something that someone might easily choose to wear the watch with. So below, you’ll find a few Nike’s with matching color schemes and red laces.

In 1970, the Porsche 917 (pictured above) was the first Porsche to ever win at the Le Mans race. Funny how modern the car still looks. 40 years later, Porsche Design is celebrating the historic victory with this limited edition watch of… 917 pieces (why not 1,970 pieces Porsche Design?!). The watch is based on the current Porsche Design P’6612 (P6612) mechanical automatic watch. I say that last part because there are plenty of quartz http://www.dmincwv.com Porsche Design timepieces as well. Th Le Mans 1970 limited edition watch has a restyled dial, special strap, and comes in a collector’s box with a small model of the Porsche 917 car.

The majority of Porsche Design watches looked a bit ordinary to replica chanel j12 me, until I was actually able to handle them. They then make a very good case for themselves. I guess there really is something to the popularity of the this whole “Porsche Design” thing (you sense my sarcasm right?). The P6612 is a great example. The colors and design of the watch make such a good visual case for themselves when you see them. The design of the dial makes it so that it integrates seamlessly with the bezel, and the use of contrasting colors is impressive in execution. When it comes down to it, it is the quality in construction of Eterna (that makes all Porsche Design watches) that is much to thank.

You’ll notice the large “23” in the subsidiary seconds dial on the watch in black and white. This was the car’s number in the race (seen on the hood). The chronograph subdials are in red against the bold black face. Porsche Design knows that the best hands for legibility are white on black… so they haven’t messed with this formula. As a racing chronograph watch, it does have a tachymeter scale, but one that is pleasantly understated around the periphery of the dial. Up a bit from that is a minute and hour scale.

Historically, Rolex worked with a number of outside suppliers to produce parts for their watches. For this reason various minor details on parts such as cases and dials may have varied from one watch to another. The most popular type of valuable vintage Rolex is either a Submariner or Daytona, models which began production in the 1950s and 1960s respectively. Due to the sometimes inconsistent parts used in authentic historic Rolex watches, it can be very difficult for anyone but honed experts to identify a complete authentic versus counterfeit timepiece. In this context “counterfeit” can mean a timepiece that combines original parts with replica parts (such as for hands, dials, etc…).

The sale of vintage (as well as new) Rolex watches is big business. Like many contemporary wealthy watch collectors, Mayer relied upon the advice and trust of people like Bob Maron in selecting (and often buying) timepieces for his collection. Experts help educate and inform collectors of what the rarest and more important timepieces to collect are. At the time of writing Robert Maron has not yet responded to the complaint, which was filed in his local jurisdiction.

In the action against defendant Maron, plaintiff Mayer makes a plea for damages in the amount of $656,000 plus punitive and compensatory damages through the five causes of action. We will continue to monitor the law suit as http://www.dmincwv.com/chanel-j12-white-41mm-replica-sale.html it progresses. What is the take away message? Well, first of all, the vintage and auction market is quite murky and it should be proceeded with extreme caution, especially at the very high-end. For this reason we at aBlogtoWatch are very judicious in our coverage of auctions and related “available” vintage pieces because all too often there is funny business. Also, even the most esteemed and respected celebrity watch lovers rely on expert advice.

Another well-known Bob Maron customer (and buddy) is Charlie Sheen. Maron no doubt has good taste but could well be held liable for damages given the conduct. If he indeed did as Mayer claims then it would be because the sale of “almost totally real Rolex watches” is just too tempting for clients that may never know better. It is replica chanel watches difficult to pass judgement though until all the facts are established. I will say this however, this is perhaps mostly embarrassing to Mayer who has held himself out as a diamond in the rough of celebrity watch lovers who has more detailed knowledge of his collection than most. His decision to file the suit no doubt puts this situation into the public light, which was a choice he needed to make in order to possibly get damages from the defendant Maron. Our colleagues at The Hollywood Reporter have a few additional details on the matter.

Here you go, folks. Fresh from the booth on the first official day of Basel World 2013, you’re looking at in the metal photos of the brand new Rolex GMT-Master II with blue and black Cerachrom bezel. Click through for more live pics (including wrist shots!), details, and pricing!While the original GMT was launched in the mid 1950s and has always had a two-tone bezel (for easy indication of day vs night), it has never had one that was at once both blue and black. But it does now. http://www.dmincwv.com And the GMT-Master II (Reference 116710BLNR) doesn’t just have a blue and black cerachom bezel, it has a PATENTED blue and black cerachrom bezel.

You see Cerachom (Rolex’s own version of ceramic) was introduced on the GMT first in 2005. And for years, we were told that making a two-tone ceramic anything was impossible. But this year, Rolex has gone an built a mono-block cerachrom bezel by a patented process that actually has the bezel start off as completely blue, and while still pourous, add the black coloring. So, this isn’t two pieces of ceramic next to each other, it’s a singular piece, and Rolex is the only brand in the world to produce something like this. It’s so difficult to do that it’s actually patented. And the bezel goodness doesn’t end there. The numerals in this two-tone, mono-block bezel are actually a thin layer of platinum, while the bezel itself is diamond-polished.

The reference 116710BLNR GMT-Master II remains 40mm in size and houses the excellent Rolex caliber 3186, with parachrom hairspring and Breguet overcoil. The dial is black lacquer while the Chromolight appliques and hands are 18k white gold. The bracelet is reference 78200, which is an Oyster made of 904L steel with plished center links. It comes with an Easylink 5mm comfort extension clasp.So, there you have it. And, like with most Rolexes of today, the innovation in this new GMT may not be clear to most at a glance, but when you realize what they’ve done to make this bezel a possibility, it all becomes obvious. Again, this is patented, and you won’t see a mono-block two-tone piece of ceramic anywhere. The Rolex GMT-Master II 116710BLNR will hit the US replica chanel j12 white with a retail price of just under $9,000. More details here, and video below.

Not getting a new steel Daytona at the half-century mark isn’t the end of the world. In fact the addition of a platinum Daytona to the line-up is a welcomed one. And we can all assume that in 2014 (or maybe 2015?) we’ll see a steel Cosmograph with a ceramic bezel. In the mean time, the current steel offerings is one of the finest all-purpose watches around. And if you don’t believe me, read Paul Boutros’s review of it right here and tell me you’re not convinced.

In some of my previous articles I have already mentioned the brand I am going to talk to you about. That is because I truly believe it deserves much more recognition in today s horology world than it gets. Louis Moinet is one of those manufacturers who most interested in watches (or luxury) people have seen almost certainly, but again C most of them would ignore even approaching it in the stores, why? Simply because 90% of the articles and posts about Louis Moinet are written about their tourbillon pieces. Well, what s so bad about it? You might ask. The thing about Louis Moinet tourbillons is that all of them have either extremely rare meteorites or precious stones used as part of the dial (and I am talking big quantities of them) C that pumps the price range from around 60-80 thousand dollars up to about 200-300 000$! And the most famous piece from the brand is the Meteoris Tourbillon (actually a set of 4 watches C sold out) priced at almost 5 million $.

Now, of course after these figures most regular or even very well paid people would turn away from the brand (in terms of actually considering the purchase); and that is where we make a mistake. Just like other brands (like Jaeger-LeCoultre or Audemars Piguet) Louis Moinet has an extreme price range, and here I would like to introduce you to a couple of models that would not cost you your house mortgage. To start off is a piece I actually own myself (bought it a year ago), a watch that I discovered by actually exploring the brand s collections C the Mecanograph .

Mecanograph is not one of the high-end tourbillon pieces, but it still has a lot to offer. First of all it is a certified chronometer (which you don t see every day now), and the movement of the watch is not just a regular one C it uses an in-house http://www.qualitywatchesbuy.com/top-replica-chanel-j12-watches.html developed mechanism that has a bidirectional winding system, allowing the automatic movement to wind more efficiently. Apart from that I had to admire the design, partially skeletonized watch with an exposed balance wheel really makes the whole dial look more interesting, and it goes perfect together with the elegant hands created by LM and the leather strap (with a deployment buckle).

And speaking of the tough conditions Louis Moinet watches are definitely waterproof, I know as I was pushed into a deep swimming pool wearing the Mecanograph and came out just fine (though try this at your own risk) ?Getting back to the timepiece C as most of Louis Moinet creations it also has that distinctive Cotes Du Jura dial decoration (that looks like really beautiful waves) as well as the Gouttes de Roses hands finishing the look. Apart from that there s another cool feature I noticed http://www.qualitywatchesbuy.com/ C that is the disk for the indication of the regular seconds C at 9 o clock, just next to the date window you can see a little star, and one of its hands is longer than the others C that is the indication of the seconds!

Just like the Mecanograph it exists in different dial and material variations and the price ranging from 13 to around 22 thousand dollars. Finally, there are some versions in limited editions of 60 and some in 365. Now I thank you all for tuning in and reading about these 2 very different pieces, and I would suggest you to go and explore the watch world of Louis Moinet on your own.

http://www.modserap.com/omega-replica-australia-for-sale.html has made several significant contributions to the art of watch making since it was founded in 1848. These contributions include the calibre Omega and the Marine. Ranging from the launch of the Speedmaster in 1957 to the Co-Axial calibres which took the horological industry by storm

When it comes to Omega watches there are so many different and unique styles it can be difficult just choosing one! There is a huge range to choose from and they come in a variety of styles, colours and sizes. When shopping for an Omega watch it is a good idea to spend time looking at the range of styles to ensure you pick the perfect one for you.
Omega watches are part of a proud design tradition and when you look through their collections you will be struck by the variety. There is the radical Seamaster Ploprof 1200M which is amazingly water resistant to 1200 metres, the Constellations which have iconic claws, the Speedmaster Professional which has been a part of every NASA mission for more than 45 years and was also the first ever watch on the moon, and the elegant and stylish De Villes to name but a few.

Omega watches have also been associated with James Bond movies since 1995. When Pierce Brosnan started playing the role of James Bond he wore the Omega Seamaster Quartz Professional in Golden Eye and in all films that followed he wore the Omega Seamaster Chronometer . The current James Bond, Daniel Craig, also wears an Omega Seamaster and even goes as far as to mention Omega by name in the film Casino Royale.

Sport sponsorship is another area where Omega watches feature heavily and Omega has frequently been the official timekeeper for the Olympics starting with the Summer Olympics of 1932. Omega was also the official timekeeper for the 2006 Winter Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympic and the 2010 Winter Olympics. Omega also sponsor a number of golf tournaments.

Omega watches are acknowledged for retaining their really worth for an prolonged time. A giant portion of this really is as a result of co-axial escapement. Assisted by the success of caliber 2500, http://www.modserap.com/tag-heuer-replica-australia-for-sale.html created the main mass-manufacturing time-piece that integrated a coaxial escapement. Invented by George Daniels, a watchmaker from England, and acknowledged as a really effective watch-making advance in latest times. The coaxial escapement almost removes the will need for lubrication, which drastically will enhance precision and also the need to have for upkeep over time.

Radial friction triggers much less strain on the movement’s components, rather than sliding friction. This in turn results in Omega’s watches having the ability retain their really worth for an extended time than their rivals. It in addition lowers the quantity of maintenance the time piece might desire to go through more than time to virtually a fraction of watches with different types of movement.

One other element in http://www.modserap.com/rolex-submariner-replica-australia-for-sale.html watches retaining their really worth is the regular which they’re created with. Every new Omega motion must cross intensive standards. The actions are tested in existing http://www.modserap.com/omega-replica-australia-for-sale.html watches, and, at the same time, various lab examinations are performed to verify the movement’s capacity to withstand temperature, shock and vibration. The precision of the motion can also be examined. Along with this, every time a completely new case has been created, it is subjected to different tests as well. The option on no matter whether to fabricate a fresh situation is basically taken in the event the new prototype passes all exams assuring good high quality.

Omega watches are carefully sought soon after time items due to the company’s thorough promoting campaigns, and endorsement of primary worl wide athletic competitions, this kind of because the Olympics. By collaborating in large advertising campaigns that generate gross revenue, the Omega brand name is includes an universal notion of high quality, precision and style.

The benefits of investing in Omega watches are plentiful. For 1, right after the serious economic crisis of 1975 to 1980, their credit card debt was bought by banking institutions in 1981. Switzerland’s other watch-making large Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG) was similarly saved a 12 months afterwards.

In 1983 the Holding ASUAG-SSIH was set up, just after essential downsizing, and also the reformation of R&D. The fresh organization achieved fast good results and significant growth. It’s now considered among the largest watch corporations inside the globe. In 1998 the company changed its name to Swatch Group. It now owns Blancpain and Breguet. While the company diversified through the years, its key manufacturer is nonetheless thought of to be OMEGA.